14 DAY TRIAL // There’s a lot of talk online regarding the materials used by Apple on the iPhone 7 Home button and the camera, and some people believe that the company didn’t stick with sapphire, which makes the new model quite easy to scratch.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything has decided to look into this with a dedicated video that tries to determine the scratch resistance of the camera as compared to a Tissot watch, which uses sapphire for protecting the face.
And it turns out that the iPhone 7 does come with sapphire, as it could only get scratched with a number 6 pick, while the watch got damaged with number 8.
There were many claims that, even if it uses sapphire, the iPhone 7 does not provide the same protection level as the other iPhone models, but again, it turns out this isn’t true. The iPhone 7 is just as scratch resistant as its predecessors, so the camera should be able to withstand the same scratches as the iPhone 6, for instance.
Apple says it’s sapphire
Apple itself claims that the iPhone 7 uses sapphire and not glass, as some of the reviews have stated. “Not true. Camera lens cover and top of Home button both Sapphire,” Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller responded on Twitter to a comment claiming that Cupertino used glass to protect the camera.
There's no reason for Apple not to use sapphire on the iPhone 7, especially because it has extended the use of this material to more than just phones. The stainless steel version of the Apple Watch also uses sapphire to protect the display, hence the increased durability.
So there you go, the iPhone 7 does use sapphire, although it’s not as durable as on other devices, but you shouldn’t put it to the test anyway. Albeit the camera could withstand some scratches, not the same thing can be said about the rest of the phone, as the Jet Black model, for instance, is super prone to damage from things that we typically carry around, including keys.
